Tricks and traps for the mind and intellectual property

September 18, 2006

The Voting Power of Ex-Pats

Something I originally wrote on the MOLES Yahoo Group, about the effect of the chicano vote on the Mexican election.
"The last Mexican election saw Calderón (allegedly) win by less than 250,000 votes, out of 40 million cast. A significant majority of Mexicans living in the US voted for Calderon over the opponent Obrador.
Obrador's platform was to help the poor of Mexico, reduce corruption and renegotiate the NAFTA agreement (which tends to put a lot of restrictions on Mexico and none on the US).
Calderon's platform was to lower the minimum daily wage (currently less than US$4) and to lower taxes for foreign companies in Mexico.
So, Calderon is good for the US, Obrador is bad for the US. All those Mexicans who have emigrated to the US, and intend to continue living there, are really voting for the best interests of the US rather than
Mexico."
Which left me wondering whether ex-pats should vote...